Lifeboat launching apparatus



Nov. 14, 1933. J. 1.. HYLAND LIFEBOAI' LAUNCHING APPARATUS Filed NOV.26, 1928 I 0 KM Patented Nov. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEApplication November 26, 1928 7 Serial No. 321,988

- series of life boats boat to oifset listing. 10-

v i U 7 Claims.

This invention relates to life boat launching apparatus, andjthe-primaryobject thereof is to provide improved means for effecting safe andexpeditious launching of the lifeboat.

A'further object of theinvention is to provide novel means for movingthe life boat to a position beyond the sideof the-vessel and at the sametime for effecting vertical movement of the life A further object of theinvention is to provide means for lowering the life boat solely by theweight thereof, and to also provide braking means the rod. Tubularguides 10 may be employed and forcontrolling the lowering of the boat.

A still further object of theinvention is to provide a series oflife'boats which are superposed and which can be independently lowered.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a lifeboat havinga'single mounting which enables the life boat to be swung to a positionbeyond the side of the vessel by a simple turning movement thereof. g Y

A stillfurther object of the invention is to pro-, vide a launchingdevice which is at all times ready for swinging of the boat to alaunching position with respect to the vessel, and which eliminates theuse of block and tackle, pulleys and the like, and in which the lifeboat is launched by a single lowering device carried by the boat itself.

The invention has still further and other objects, which will be laterset forth and manifested in the course of the following description.

In the drawing:-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a boat in accordance with the presentinvention showing same mounted on the deck of a vessel, the deck beingshown in section Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly broken away and insectionshowing the boat during lowering thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the raising and lowering meanscarried by the boat;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of a part of the raising and loweringdevice;

Figs. 5 and 6 are sections on lines 55 and 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a and their mounting means,

and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of a modified form of the invention.

In proceeding in accordance with the present invention a threaded shaftor rod 1 is employed which is rigidly secured to the deckof a vesselshown in part at 2. A substantially U-shaped swung around on their davit3 is provided with a threaded socket receiving the threaded shaft 1, thedavit having horizontal portions 4 which overlie thelifeboat and whichportions 4 at their centers have cables 5 are also fixedly securedto'the life boat for the purpose of guiding the cables during 7 winding,

thereof on the sleeve 6. i 'As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, a singlesleeve6 is employed. However, as 'shown in Fig. 8, if

desired the rod 8"may be provided with opposed threaded portions 11 anda pair of sleeves 12 employed, which latter are. independently" movableon the rod, allowing separate movement. of each sleeve. 1

In order to control the rotation of the sleeved or the sleeves 12 abrake may be employed'which consists of a block 13 apertured to receivethe sleeve therethrough and which is drawn into frictional engagementwith the sleeve by means of a threaded member 14 having a handle 15 toenable turning thereof. Obviously, howevenany form 35 of braking devicecan be employed and if desired, for example, the sleeve may beformedwith apertures 16 to receive rods or handles, not shown, so as tocontrol the rotation of the sleeve.

As shown in Fig. 7, a series of life boats 9' may be arranged insuperposed order and are mounted .on a single rod 16 to turnably supportthe davits 3 as described in connection with Fig. 1. The

raising and lowering devices in this form of the invention are preciselyas above described.

In operation it will be seen that the davits 3 or 3' are at all timespivotally related to the vessel so as to be capable of being instantlypivots l or 16' to dispose the boats in launching position. Thus asingle pivot is employed for swinging the entire life boat to its outerposition. The seamen, when the boat is in its outer position at the sideof the deck,

operate the handle 15 to release the brake on the 7 sleeve 6 so as toenable the sleeve 6 to rotate and by virtue of the weight of the boatand its occusively brings the several convolutions of the sus- 11o orotherwise, the

the same have been completely unwound there-1' from and the boat is inthe water, the cables will be automatically disconnected from thesleeve, leaving the boat free, or the cable may be provided withseparable links at any desired point,

so that when the boat reaches the water, the links may be readilydisconnected, for example a pin 18 may be attached to the sleeve and therope looped over it at its end, the loop being freely passed over thepin so that when it is completely unwound, it will automatically freeitself from the latter.

In raising, either following launching drills, sleeve is rotated to windthe cables thereon, which is accomplished by the searr e n in the lifeboat, for instance by inserting handles in the apertures 16. In thisoperation, the sleeve progressively slides in addition to rotating so asto regularly lay the cable coils thereon in abutting engagement as shownin Fig. 3.

What is claimed'is:-

1. A life boat launching apparatus, including a vertical threaded shaft,means to rigidly secure said shaft to a vessel, a substantially U-shapeddavit having a threaded socket receiving the shaft and having horizontalportions at the ends of its arms, a life boat, raising and lowering,,means carried by the boat, and cables connected to the centers ofsaid'horizontal portions and to the raising and lowering means.

2. A lifeboat launching apparatus including a verticalthreaded shaft,means to rigidly secure said shaft to a vessel, a davit threaded intoeneach having raising and lowering means therein,

and suspension means for each boat connected to the respective davitsand to the raising and lowering means of the boats.

4. In a life boat launching apparatus, a vertical threaded shaft, meansto secure the shaft to a .vessel, ,a series of superposed davitsthreadedly connected to the shaft for simultaneous horizontal rotary andvertical movements, and a life boat connected toeach of the davits.

5. The combination with a davit, of a lifeboat having a shaft mountedtherein, a sleeve fitted over the shaft, and having screw threadedengagement therewith, said shaft extending entirely through'the sleeveand a cable having one end secured to the davit and the opposite endcoiledv about the sleeve, and a brake applied directly tothe sleeve tolimit and regulatethe uncoiling of the cable.

v 6. In lifeboat launching apparatus, the combination of a shaft havingboth ends thereof fixed, a sleeve journaled on the shaft for rotationthere- 7 on, said sleeve having a screw-threaded connection with theshaft to cause lengthwise movement thereof on rotation, at least twocables,

wound on the sleeve in spaced relation, and means a for controlling therotation of the sleeve.

'7. In lifeboat launching apparatus, the combination in a lifeboat, of'ashaft having both ends thereof fixed to the lifeboat against rotation, asleeve journale'd on the shaft for rotation there-1 on, said; sleevehaving a screw-threaded connec-.* tion with the shaft to causelengthwise moveand means engaging the sleeve, for controlling therotationthere'of relative to the shaft,

JOHN L. HYLAND.

ment thereof on'rotation, at lea'st'two lowering cables wound on thesleeve in' spaced relation,

